China

China’s Yutu rover exploring the lunar surface has stopped operating after a record-setting mission of 31 months, the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) announced.

China’s Yutu rover and the Chang’e 3 stationary lander are still alive after two years on the lunar surface, waking up last week to mark two full years spent inside Mare Imbrium having already passed their life expectancies by far.

The Service Module of the Chinese Chang’e 5 Test Vehicle successfully conducted rendezvous exercises in lunar orbit to rehearse for China’s first robotic sample return mission targeting a liftoff in 2017.